Laws of Man

Action and atmosphere are too poorly supplied for this stab at a noirish retro thriller to emerge as anything but talky, awkward and unconvincing.

This action thriller has a good cast and a promising start, as two suit-wearing city slickers try to navigate a deadly backcountry territory, but it goes unforgivably haywire in the final stretch.

Although I really want to love this film, it just doesn’t quite meet expectations. It’s watchable, and it has some wonderful performances.

Laws of Man is a decent film that entertains but doesn’t leave much of a trace once it’s over.

Employing significantly more talk than action, the film explores morality, masculinity, and spirituality yet it’s neither consistently amusing nor convincing.

“Laws of Man” is a pulpy throwback genre feature….It has a colorful company of characters, deliciously heightened drama, a terrific period-rich setting, and one gloriously gonzo ending that I never saw coming (but probably should have).

[T]he idea behind all of this has some promise, which Blattenberger clearly knows but doesn't quite communicate well...

Here’s a law: if the plan is to go full loopy stupid for the payoff, set that tone or expectation earlier rather than masking the already tedious narrative as something more serious


“Laws of Man” suddenly loses interest in being approachable in the final act, which transforms an okay pass at games of intimidation into something quite ridiculous.

What starts out as a Cold War-era Western takes some wild and ill-advised turns, steering an already shaky thriller into complete incoherence.